Assigm



no Model 4 ssnee ts-sneet 1.

' 4 0. L.- FARNH-AM.

. ORE SEPARATING MAGHINE.

No. 284,401. Patented Sept. '4, 1883.

(No Model.) a Sheet Sheet 2 6. L. PARNHAM.

ORE SEPARATING MACHINE Nd; 284,401. .Pjatent e d sept. 4,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Sept. 4, 1883.

'0. L. FARNHAM.-

ORE SEPARATING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

R an/Z07 u PETERS. Pnnro-umu m her. washin mn. 04:,

l UNITED ST TES! ORISON L. FARNHAM, OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT, PADDOOK,OF SAME PLACE.

PATENT ()FFIcE.

ASSIGNOR To JOHN H.

ORE-SEPARATlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 284,401, dated September4, 1883.

Application filed May 14, 1883. I (No model.) 1

i To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, Omson L. FARNHAM, of St. J ohnsbury, Caledoniacounty, Vermont, assignor to JOHN H. PADDOOK, of the "same 5 place, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separating Machines,of d which the following is a specification.

My invention applies more especially to that class of pneumatic oreseparators, such as IO John H. Paddock, August 26, 1879. In thesemachines the pulverized ore is fed onto a separating tableor troughwhich is both longitudinally and laterally inclined, and provided with adiagonally-ribbed sieve or grating resting on a permeable web or blanketthrough which apulsating current of air is forced. The pulsations of aircause the particles of oreto frequently rise and fall during theirgradual descent down the longitudinal incline of the trough, and thishasthe effect of separating them in layers arranged according. to theirrelative specific gravities, the heavier metallic particles remaining atthe bottom and being discharged at the lower end of the lateral incline,whilethe lighter earthy particles ap pear at the top and are deliveredat the higher end of the lateralincline; it My improvements lie in theconnection be tween the separating-trough and the bellows or air-forcingdevice, and in the means for ad-- justing the lateral and longitudinalinclinations of the trough, which involveseveral iinf portant novelfeatureswhich greatly conduce to the efficiency of the machine,andrender its management and operation more easy and accurate, ashereinafter fully set forth in the claims. i

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 presents a side elevation of myimproved machine, and Fig. 2 a cross-section thereof on line m. Fig. disa plan view of the machine, and Fig. 4 a similar view with theseparating-trough removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the deck of themachine, with the upper parts removed. Fig. 6isaplan view of thebellows-diaphragm, withflthe deck-plate and all upper parts re moved. vi

d v In the drawings, a a indicate the main frame of'themachine, which issimilar to the top shown in the Patent No. 218,896, issued to- ;frame orcasing of an ordinary table, and rests at each of the four corners onthe legs I) b. The frame and legs may be made of metal or wood; but thelatter is presumed in the drawings. Over the top of the frame a is fixedthe top plate or deck, 0, which is preferably a strong light plate ofcast-iron, formed'in aflat doming or dish shape, with its concave sideundermost, and screwed at its fiat' margins to the margin 6o of thewooden frame a, as fully shown in Figs.

'3, 4, 2, and 1.

Within the frame a, under the deck;plate c, is arranged the usualbellows, or rather diaphragm-bellows. This consists, sheet, d, of rubbercloth or other suitable ma terial, (see Figs. 2 and 6,) which in thiscase, however, is clamped-at its edges between the deck-plate cand thetop of the frame a, while its middle portion withinthe fixed frame a isattached to a light wooden frame, e, having fiiced over its top aperforated sheet-metal plate, f, which directly underlies the rubbersheet d. The middle portion of the rubber sheetis slit or cut, so as toform free valveflaps, as indicated at d in Figs. 2 and 6, which flapsoverlie the perforations in the metal plate f, and form thesuction-valves of the bellows, which open, in the usual manner,inwardly, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Two cross-bars, e, arefixed across the bellowsframe e,near each end thereof, and these are.connected by eccentric-rods g with eccentrics g on a central shaft, 1,which is mounted in bearings supported onthe legs I), and provided atoneend with a driving-pulley, h, whereby power may be appliedto revolve theshaft, and thus vibrate the diaphragm, to thus produce the desiredpulsating air-current in about th usual manner, as will be understood.-The deck-plate 0 forms, as shown best in Fig. 2, the roof or covertothe bellows d, and it is solid or imperforate over its-top, except nearone end, where it is formed with a raised rim, (2, (seeFigsil and 2,)within which rim the plate is perforated with several openings, forminga circular grating divided into four segments by central cross barscrossing at 1 right angles, as shown fullyin Figs. 5 and 2.

Over thesesegments of the grating are clamped IOO as usual, of a 65 ifour corresponding segments of rubber cloth, r, or similar material,(see Figs. 2, 4, and 5,) which form valves opening upwardly in the samedirection as the bellows suction-valve. Two of these valves 1' areremoved in Fig. 5.

B indicates the separating trough or tab which is of the usualconstruction, but its hollow under side. is secured to an underlyingclosely-woven fabric.

supporting-tray or disk-shaped metal plate, 8, the base of which isformed with a projecting circular rim, 8, of the same diameter as therim 0 on the deck-plate, and between this rim on the tray 8 and the rim0' on the deck-plate c are fitted two overlying beveled rings, t t, sothat the space inclosed by said rims and rings forms an air throat orpassage which connects the bellows with the separating-trough, as willbe understood from Figs. 1 and 2. The rims s c, as well as the beveledrings 15, are all formed with intermeshing rabbeted edges which engagewith each other, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus hold .the said parts infirm connection and prevent the lateral displacement thereof, and theserabbeted edges are all ground together, making their joints air-tight,so that the pulsating air-current from the bellows is forced to passthrough the blanket of the separating-trough, and does not escape atsaid joints, as will be understood. The bottom of the tray s is solid orimperforate outside of the rim 8, but is perforated within the rim withfour segmental openings, (see Figs. 4 and 2,) leaving a centralcross-bar, s, so as to form a free passage for the pulsating air-currentfrom the bellows through the trough, and the center of these cross-barss is connected with the center of the grating in the deck-plate c by acentral bolt, u, as seen best in Fig. 2, which thus clamps the tray andbeveled rings to the deck-plate and supports the separatingtablethereon, so as to prevent the said parts from rising out of place, yetwill permit the table to be set at any desired inclination, whilepreventing it from being turned around, as will hereinafter appear.

As before stated, the separating trough or table B is presumed to be ofthe usual construction set forth in former patents on machines of thisclass, and involves no novel part of the present invention; but for abetter understanding of the entire .machine its general construction maybe here briefly described. It therefore consists of an underlying frame,c', which forms the base of the trough, and an overlying frame, 70,forming the inclosing hopper sides thereof. The under frame, '5, isfastened air-tight upon the top edge of the tray 8, and between theframe '5 and the upper frame, k, is clamped the blanket l, forming thefloor of the trough, which blanket is composed of a fiat taut web ofcloth or other strong, smooth, The upper frame, k, is provided with agrating of parallel diagonal ribs, m m, which overlie the blanket, asseen in Figs. 3 and 2, while the under frame is provided with a similarset of ribs, m, which underlie the blanket directly beneath the uppermachines,

ribs, as seen in Fig. 2, so that the iblanket is thus clamped smooth andtaut between said ribs, and the pulsations of air are forced through theblanket in the spaces between said ribs, as will be understood.

Above the upper ribs, m, is placed a longi- .tudinal bar, at, at aboutone-third of the width of the trough, which bar is raised somewhat abovethe ribs m, as seen in Fig.2. Now, from the bar n to the opposite sideof the trough a more widely-spaced set of diagonal ribs, 0, extend at anopposite inclination over the lower ribs, as shown best in Fig. 3, theseribs being deeper than the lower ribs, as seen in Fig. 2. The end of thetrough under the narrow end board, is open, allowing the channelsbetween the ribs to discharge or open freely over the inclinedtail-board p, which overhangs the end of the machine, and over which theore is discharged in three streams, directed by the pivotedguide-fingers p, the valuable ore or metallic particles being dischargedat one corner, the tailings or earthy particles at the other corner, andthe middlings at the center.

in the practical operation of these it is found that different kinds ofore require a different inclination of the trough, both longitudinallyand laterally, and hence machines .of this class have been heretoforeprovided with adjusting devices for thus adjusting the inclinations ofthe trough, and so retaining it during operation on that kind of ore.

Now, in my improvement, it will be noted that the beveled rings tt,which are free to revolve, and on which the trough is supported, forma most simple and efficient means for thus adjusting the inclination ofthe trough, for by rotating one or both of said rings to a certainextent in either direction the trough maybe inclined to the-requiredextent in any direction, either lengthwise or crosswise, or bothcombined, and with great ease and nicety, as will be readily understoodfrom the full and dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, thus presenting a greatimprovement in the adjusting feature of these machines. In order tobetter admit of this adjustment, the peripheries of the rings areprovided with projections t, to engage with a spanner-wrench, wherebythe rings may be Now,

easily grasped and turned by an easy efiort of r the operator, as willbe understood.

It will be also understood that when the rings are thus turned to thedesired adjustment they will remain firmly at such adjustment, andwithout any tendency to alter by the vibrations of the machine, forthefriction on the rings will act, inthe same manner as the friction on anacutewedge or a fine-pitched screw, to retain the parts firmly in anyposition to which they may be set, thus requiring no locking devices tohold the parts at the de sired adjustment.

It may be also noted, by referring to Fig. 2, that the desiredadjustment of the rings and consequent inclination of the trough will inno way disturb the air connection or passage through the cavities of therings between the bellows and trough; but it may be observed thatsuehadjustment will cause a slight conslightly rounded or spherical;consequently the bolt cannot rotate, but it can .wabble or incline to alimited extent in all directions.

The upper end of the square bolt passes through a square hole in thecenter of the cross-bar s in the tray 8, and hence the tray is preventedfrom turning on the bolt, although the beveled rings maybe freely turnedbeneath it to set the trough at any desired inclination, as beforedescribed. Above the cross-bar s a rubber cushion or spring, '0, isslipped over the threaded end of the bolt, and upon this is placed awasher, over which is screwed the nut 0, so as to compress the cushionsomewhat. It will therefore be seen that the elastic pressure of thecushion i; will hold the several parts in firm contact, and yet willyield sufficiently in an axial direction to allow the slight axialcontraction and elongation which are clamped together by the bolt andnut 11 o,

. occurs when the system is inclined, as represented by dotted lines inFig. 2.

It will be seen that while the tray 8 and its attached trough cannotrotate after the parts yet if the trough is removed and the nut '11 andcushion o detached the tray may be lifted off, turned around one-quarterof a revolu-' tion, and again set .upon the rings and engaged with thebolt and clamped by the cushion and nut, as before. The tray and itsattached trough will then lie at right angles to the deck-plate, so thatthe tailof the trough will discharge over the side of the machine, whichmay be desirable in some cases.

It may be observed from the drawings that the rim 0 on the deck-platecand the rim 8 on the tray 8 are both made level, and that two beveledrings, t, are introduced between the rims. 'If desired, however, eitheror both of the rims c 8 may be beveled slightly, and a less amount ofbevel will then be required 011 the rings 15,- or, if preferred, but oneof the beveled rings t may be used between the rims, if the latter arethemselves beveled to match with the ring.

In the construction which I have illustrated the interior of the beveledrings forms the airpassage between bellows and trough; but,- if

desired, the air-passagemay be entirelysepanations, as before. i Thebeveled rings, a will beunderstood, are simply rotary wedges, and.

in the aforesaid modification these rotary wedges need not be inthenform of rings, but in the form of plates or disks perforated at thecenter to allow the passage of the bolt u,- but spiration of air throughthe blanket, which sucked down the light dusty portion of the ore intothe rich layer of heavy metallic particles upon thesurface of theblanket, and also drew portions of this dust into the bellows, which, aswill be readily understood, was quite objectionable for several obviousreasons. In the present machine, however, this defect is entirelyobviated by reason of the check-valves r in the air-passage, as beforedescribed,'which freely allow the expiration of air from the bellowsthrough the blanket, but prevent any inspiration through the blanket, aswill be readily appreciated by reference toFig; 2; and hence by thisfeature the metallic portions of the ore are delivered from the troughat the appropriate point in a v of a rotary wedge or beveled ringintroduced between the two, and forming the means of supporting thetrough above the bellows and of adjusting its inclinations,substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the bellows and the overlyingseparating-trough, with a communicating passage between them, of one ormore rotary beveled rings introducedbetween the trough and bellows, withair-tight joints, and inclosing the said passage, substantially asherein shown and described.

4.. The combination, with the separatingtrough andasupporting base on orover which it is mounted, of one or more rotary wedges or beveled ringsintroduced between the two, and a central bolt connecting the troughwith the supporting-base, and having a non-rotating wabbling or yieldingconnection there with, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with theseparating-i trough provided with itsbase-plate or trays,

having a circular'rim, s, with the deck-plate 0, having a similar rim,0, and one or more rotary beveled rings or wedges, t t, introduced abetween said rims, and a central fasteningbolt, 10, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth. l 6. In a machine of the described kind, thedeck-plate 0, provided with the valves 1', having the grating forsupporting the said valves formed integral with the mass of the plate,

substantially as herein shown and described.

7. p In a machine such as described, the com- 1 edges, substantially asbination, with the separating-trough, the untop or deck plate of themachine, of one or more beveled rings, 16, introduced between theseparating-trough and the deck-plate, and engagingby means ofintermeshing rabbeted forth.

ORISON L'. FARNHAM.

and for the purpose set 20

